This
Year's (2000) Guest Artists
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"Cajun dance music with a kick."
Charivari pronounced "shah ree - va ree" the name for the old Cajun custom in which the friends of a newlywed couple throw a loud raucous party at the home of the new couple on the night of their marriage. This party was a common occurrence in the prairie region of Cajun Louisiana when one of the wedding party was getting married for the second time to a person who had never been married. A wild party is anticipated but just what will occur is an uncertainty.
Charivari also happens to be the youthful offshoot of the band previously known as the Mamou Prairie Band. After a couple of changes in personnel and under the direction of new leadership, the band is making fundamental strides in a new direction for the music. At the suggestion of their new record company Rounder records of Cambridge, Massachusetts, it was agreed that a new name was needed for the band to celebrate the new changes and also prevent confusion with the other Cajun bands which incorporate the word Mamou in their name. After much consideration, Charivari seemed to be a perfect fit. An evening with Charivari is a party with the anticipation of great results but some uncertainty of what to expect.
Charivari, while being a high energy band, still remains traditional and provides an accurate depiction of down home Cajun music. All the different aspects and styles of Cajun music are contained in their performances. The songs they perform include waltzes, two-steps, fiddle tunes and Creole songs from all of the old masters as well as their own compositions. Cajun music comes from one place and from one kind of people and these guys are IT. They are dedicated, well-trained and have had tons of exposure to the very best. It quickly becomes clear that this band has learned its lessons well. Their enthusiasm and obvious pleasure in performing on stage has kept crowds throughout the United States and United Kingdom cheering for more.
Personnel:
Mitchell Reed: Mitchell is both the leader and fiddler for Charivari. Born m Bayou Vista, LA. in 1971, Mitchell currently resides in Lafayette, LA. Although proficient in playing over 12 musical instruments, Mitchell is internationally known for his ability and style on the fiddle. After playing string bass in the Lafayette Symphony while still in high school, he discovered a love for traditional Cajun music and began playing the fiddle. He soon met fellow Charivari band member Randy Vidrine at Marc Savoy's jam session in Eunice, La. One Saturday in the late 1980's the two teamed up with accordionist Cory McCauley to start the first Charivari Cajun band. The Reed and Vidrine affiliation continued through bands such as McCauley, Reed, and Vidrine, and Tasso as well as The Mamou Prairie band. Mitchell has toured the east and west coast of the United States with Beausoleil leader Mike Doucet in the "Masters of the Fiddle" tour which included some of the world's most renown fiddlers. in their respective styles. Mitchell has also been on the teaching staffs of such music camps as Ashokan in New York, Augusta in West Virginia and Fiddle Tunes in Seattle Washington. Mitchell was a member of Rounder recording artists band Balfa Toujours in which he played both electric bass and string bass along with some second fiddle. Mitchell has toured extensively in the United States as well as Europe with bands such as Balfa Toujours, McCauley, Reed, and Vidrine, and Tasso and Mouton Noir.
Mitchell has a reputation for possessing a hard driving fiddle style which is filled with rhythm. His studying of the old fiddlers through field recordings and in person, shows up prominently in his playing style. His admiration and respect for fiddlers such as Dennis McGee, Bebe Carriere, Wade Fruge, Canray Fontenot and Cheese Reed is easy to recognize when he performs. He has been able to recapture a style and sound which these fiddlers. possess and only very few have been even remotely able to duplicate.
J. Randy "Frisson" Vidrine: Randy Vidrine was born in Ville Platte, LA. in 1954 and currently resides in Youngsville, LA. Randy 'has 'been playing Cajun music since his high school Jays and was raised in a household in which one was as likely to converse in French as in English. Randy has a guitar style reminiscent of the late Preston Manuel of Mamou, La. Besides providing a driving rhythm which complements the fiddle Style of Mitch, Randy is the primary vocalist for Charivari. His style and sound makes the listener feel that he is hearing someone who is much older than Randy's actual age. Charivari's vocals are all done in Cajun French but Randy is able to converse comfortably with people from France, Belgium and Canada in their own slightly- Different French dialects. Randy is able to reach the high pitches of the key of "D" which was more common in days past when no amplification was available and the singers had to project their voices in the 'higher keys in order to be heard over the rest of the band and the crowd. His influences are Adam Hebert, Lawrence Walker And Shirley Bergeron. Just as is the case with Mitchell, Randy has toured extensively in the United States and Europe performing the music which is so important and meaningful to him. His love and pride in the music of his ancestors is clearly evident in each song lie sings. Randy has been on the teaching staff of such notable music camps as Ashokan in New York, Fiddle Tunes in Seattle Washington, and has been invited to participate in a staff capacity at the Augusta Heritage Center in West Virginia for Cajun Week in the summer of 2000.
Jonno Frishberg: Jonno was born in Arizona in 1960 but 'has been a resident of Louisiana for the past twenty years. He is also the accordionist and newest member of Charivari. Originally beginning his Cajun music career as a fiddler, he went on to learn the accordion as well. This versatility was only one of the many reasons his membership in the band was so desired. By being able to play twin fiddles with Mitchell he gives the band another musical aspect it did not have prior to Jonno joining the group. His ability to proficiently play several different instruments has made it possible for Jonno to perform with several different Cajun groups as an accordionist, fiddler, bassist or guitarist depending on their needs. some of these groups and musicians include Beausoliel, Wayne Toups, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys and Mamou to name just a few. This has also enabled him to be the leader of bands he formed as well. Jonno is also a song writer and music composer. He was instrumental in the production of the modern ballet "Feu Follet" in which he was also one of the musicians that traveled with the ballet throughout Europe and the United States to rave reviews. Jonno is also a busy recording artist and has been a part of over sixteen recording projects some of which include many of his own compositions. The addition of this accomplished musician only adds strength to this group of already heavily experienced musicians.
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival - New Orleans, LA Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival - Breaux Bridge, LA Festival International de la Louisiana - Lafayette, LA Festival Acadians - Lafayette, LA Liberty Theater - Eunice, LA Dancearama - Hartford CN Clearwater Revival - Croton, NY Fiddle Tnnes - Seattle WA Bury Cajun Festival - Bury, England SXSW - Austin Asihokan Fiddle and Dance Camp - Asihokan, NY Spanish Ballroom - Glenn Echo, MD TK Club - Philadelphia, PA Phantasmagoria - Wheaton, MD File Gumbo Club - London, England Tramps - Manhattan NY October Sunday Festival - St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Also: House Band: Randol's - Lafayette, LA Mulates - New Orleans and Baton Rouge, LA
I Want to Dance with You Rounder Records (early 2000 release)
(under the name Mamou Prairie Band)
"le Holiday" Swallow Records 1998
Oil, Yaille! Swallow Records 1996
Catch My Hat Swallow Records 1993
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Larry Edelman has traveled widely in the United States from Florida to Alaska, and in Europe, including Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Russia, and Czechoslovakia, delighting both novice and veteran dancers with his humor, enthusiasm, skillful teaching, knowledge of dance history, and colorful calling.
Larry is skilled in a variety of calling styles and his rich repertoire includes traditional western, mid-western, southern, and New England square dances, as well as contras, circles and unusual formations. He is an avid dance researcher and has intensively studied the traditional dances of Southwestern Pennsylvania. He was awarded a Fellowship in Folk Arts from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts in 1987 to study with elder caller Jerry Goodwin, and produced the videotape Dance to the Music and Listen to the Calls that documented the apprenticeship. Larry is conducting an ongoing study and collection of portrayals of square dancing and country dancing in film and television.
Larry has played guitar and mandolin in several bands including The Monongahela Mudsuckers, Devilish Merry, and the Percolators. He currently plays fiddle in Colorado-based Poultry in Motion. He appears on several recordings on the Wildebeest, Kicking Mule, and D & R labels. Larry's music is featured on Timepieces, a cassette of his original tunes, accompanied by a book of the same title that contains the written version of the tunes. Larry is the author of Square Dance Caller's Workshop, an acclaimed text on the art of calling square dances.
Larry has called dances and has taught workshops throughout the U.S., including his highly acclaimed week-long Caller's Workshop. He has served as the coordinator of Dance Week at the Augusta Heritage Arts Workshop in West Virginia from 1982 - 1988, and as program director of the Country Dance and Song Society's American Dance Week at Pinewoods in Massachusetts from 1990 to 1992.
Some Reviews of Larry's Calling:
"He represents the new breed of square dance caller who, while retaining respect for the older traditions, is fully capable of adapting the dance form to suit the needs and desires of his audience. And of paramount importance to the many fans who follow him from dance to dance is the fact that when they yield their collective will to the caller... they guarantee themselves all the fun they can stand to make."
The Pittsburgh East
"He's known for making traditional square dancing accessible even to folks who tend to be a little tongue tied around the feet."
Pittsburgh Press
"His 'hands on' caller's workshop has been described as 'one of the best and most informative caller's workshops'. His warmth and easy going manner allow even the most intimidated to get up and show their stuff."
Bay Area Country Dance Society
Larry's ability to zero in on the unique elements that make a dance fun, coupled with his vast knowledge of regional styles and dances make Larry truly a caller's caller."
Wannadance Uptown
"Larry has a perverse sense of what's fun to dance..... and he's right!"
Bill Harwood, Gypsy Moon Cloggers
"I was dazzled by his square dance breaks, some of which sent me careening around the square, arriving miraculously back with my partner. His easy going style is encouraging to modest beginners and kamikaze dancers alike."
Portland Country Dance Community
"In addition to his skillful and enthusiastic calling, Larry is known for his ability to stimulate unexpected behavior."
Chesapeake Spring Dance Weekend
"Larry's motto might well be 'Never a dull dance' for his calling is characterized by color, humor, and impeccable timing. He skillfully promulgates his theories at dance events across the country."
Camp Wannadance
Some Festival & Workshop Appearances
- Augusta Heritage Arts Workshop, Elkins, West Virginia
- Country Dance & Song Society Camp at Pinewoods, Massachusetts
- Country Dance Festival, Prague, Czechoslovakia
- Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Port Townsend, Washington
- Ethnic Dance Week, Port Townsend, Washington
- Lady of the Lake Dance & Music Week, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
- California Traditional Music Society New Years Camp, Malibu
- Summer Solstice Music & Dance Festival, Northridge, California
- Mendocino Woodlands Country Dance Camp, California
- Wannadance Uptown, Seattle, Washington
- Camp Wannadance, Seattle, Washington
- Black Mountain Festival, Black Mountain, North Carolina
- John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, North Carolina
- Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival, Valhalla, New York
- Dancing Bears Dance Camp, Anchorage, Alaska
- Fiddle and Dance at Ashokan, Ashokan, New York
- Fiddlehead Music & Dance Week, West Virginia & Maryland
- Chesapeake Spring Dance Weekend, Edgewater, Maryland
- Chattahoochee Country Dancers Annual Festival, Atlanta, Georgia
- Spring Dance Romance, Danbury, North Carolina
- Hands Four Spring Weekend, Troy, New Hampshire
- Fall Dance Weekend, Nashville, Tennessee
- Harvest Moon Dance Festival, Santa Barbara, California
- Labor Day Weekend American Dance Camp, Alta Sierra, California
- Monte Toyan Dance Camp, Aptos, California
- Southern Michigan Music & Dance Festival, Lansing, Michigan
- Evergreen Folkways Spring Weekend, Camp Kiwanilong, Oregon
- Gypsy Moon Ball, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Baltimore Folk Festival, Baltimore, Maryland
- Artscape, Baltimore. Maryland
- Pennsylvania Folk Festival, Pennsylvania
- Smoky City Folk Festival, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Micanopy Music and Dance, Micanopy, Florida
- CDSS American Dance Weekend, Netcong, New Jersey
Recent Recordings/Publications
Timepieces: Vintage Originals by Larry Edelman (D
& R 128)
A cassette tape of 23 original tunes including rags, reels,
jigs, waltzes, polkas, fiddle tunes, and other pieces with
peculiar titles. Featuring Laurie Andres, Sandy Bradley,
Greg & Jere Canote, C.W. Abbott, L.E. McCullough, and
others.
Timepieces: Vintage Originals by Larry Edelman (D
& R Productions, 1989)
A book of 46 original tunes in standard notation with chord
symbols. Includes rags, reels, jigs, waltzes, polkas, fiddle
tunes, and other pieces with peculiar titles.
Square Dance Caller's Workshop (D & R
Productions, 1991)
A book of instruction, issues, dances, and other valuable
resources. This publication was developed to accompany
participation in a weeklong square dance callers'
workshop.
